His Stoke side look to have avoided a relegation dogfight but Pulis (right) is ­determined not to let standards slip as the Premier League enters the run-in.

The no-nonsense manager is worried about going off the boil just as the top flight gets £5billion of TV money to be shared by the clubs. He said: “Every year that we stay in the Premier League is a massive result for us.

“You only have to look at the size of the clubs down at the bottom to realise that we can’t take our foot off the pedal.

“It’s a massive season for us. The financial rewards next season make it crucial you stay in the Premier League and we have to do that by hook or by crook."